Wine and other alcoholic beverages are typically made by fermenting liquid containing sugars and other carbohydrates, such as grape juice. Fermentation generally occurs by utilizing yeast cultures to convert the sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Winemaking can be a time consuming and labor intensive process and the fermentation process can take from two and a half weeks to a month to complete. Additionally, the process of winemaking, or fermenting other alcoholic beverages, often involves many complicated steps, such as racking and clearing to remove yeast cells and other debris, before the wine can be consumed.
Furthermore, to improve the quality of a wine, the wine may be aged for weeks to years in barrels made of oak or other wood in which complex chemical reactions involving a wine's sugars, acids, and phenolic compounds, such as tannins, can alter the aroma, color, mouthfeel, and taste of the wine in a way that may be more pleasing to the taster.
Thus, there is a need for an improved method and system for rapidly fermenting a carbohydrate solution, such as grape juice, into an alcoholic beverage in less time and with less labor.